The Universe is Unfair ...

... and nice guys don't always get the girl, or win the prize, or whatever. Today I took a 20 minute detour on my way to Putney Mountain in order to get cider donuts for the stalwart hawk watchers. I was being a good guy.

I arrived at the hawk watch site 2 minutes after the hawk watchers watched a Peregrine Falcon dive into the woods, then reemerge with a Blue Jay in its talons and begin eating on the wing. So no photos of the drama. Alas!

So today I had to be content with a few medium height hawks (out of photography range), and a family of ravens playing on the wind.

Common Raven

Yesterday (Sunday) was a bit better. The second season of hawk watching is underway with the accipiters beginning to come in numbers. And they do so with attitude. Our plastic owl attracted the attention of several birds, almost always young, inexperienced birds ...

The Plastic Owl

This Sharp-shinned Hawk made a close pass at the owl ...

Sharp-shinned Hawk (hatch year)

... while this young Cooper's Hawk made repeated attacks ...

Cooper's Hawk diving at the owl

Cooper's Hawk - note the full crop

Cooper's Hawk - compare head size with the Sharp-shinned Hawk

In addition, Bald Eagles continued their steady run, while song birds occasionally are found in the edges around the watch site or in the woods on the walk up ...

Bald Eagle - not yet a full adult

 Good Birding!!